Bye-bye, Texas Stadium

More than 38 years of football and entertainment memories came crashing down Sunday morning when 11-year-old Casey Rogers pushed the button that set off 2,715 pounds of dynamite, leveling Texas Stadium in less than a minute.

All that remained standing at the Dallas Cowboys’ former home after the implosion were three buttresses at the southeast end of the stadium where the implosion process started. Demolition officials said that the columns were being held up by debris and would be easy to demolish.

The implosion was witnessed by thousands of fans who parked in the stadium’s Red Lot and lined streets surrounding the stadium all its sides. Fans began arriving for a chance to see the implosion late Saturday night, and Irving officials opened the red lot 20 minutes early because of the line to get in.

Irving officials decided to raze the stadium after it was determined there would be little use for the structure. Officials want a high-end development there in the future — perhaps something akin to Millenium Park in Chicago. But for the next 10 years, it will be the staging area for highway construction in the area.

So, is this a preview of what is eventually to come for the Astrodome, or is it a reason why we shouldn’t go the same way? Discuss. And watch the video here, because I know you want to.